Doctor Blake Advent Calendar, a doctor blake mysteries fanfic

"Lucien," she stroked his arm and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "It's the first Sunday in Advent, will you come to church with me?" She'd risen early as usual, but found herself back in their bedroom. If he didn't get up now, they'd be late.

"Advent, eh?" He turned to look at his wife as she sat on the edge of the bed next to him. She was already dressed, had done her hair and makeup, and looked absolutely beautiful. He pulled her hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. "How do Methodists celebrate Advent?"

"Well, they've decorated of course, and Angie Roberts said her family was lighting the advent wreath." She paused, "The rest, I'm hoping to find out!" Jean had started attending the small methodist church about a month after they returned from their honeymoon, and while she always sat in the back and had yet to volunteer any duties, she had made a few friends. Lucien had come with her a handful of times, and everyone had been very nice to them.

Lucien glanced at the clock, "I better get ready then. Coffee in 10?" He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Of course." She leaned down and kissed him soundly. Lipstick could be reapplied after all. She left him to shower and dress with a smile on her face and in her heart.

Lucien was also smiling, If that kiss was any indication, celebrating Advent with Mrs. Blake might be his new favorite pastime.

"Now, Mrs. Trimble, do be sure to come back next week, and I'll listen to your lungs again. The medicine should clear everything up by then, but there is no harm in double checking." He walked the older woman to the door with a smile on his face. After the Clasbys, Mrs. Trimble was one of his favorites.

"Of course! Thank you, Doctor." Lucien waved goodbye to the dear woman, and turned back to his office. He wondered where Jean had gotten to, usually she would've been the one to escort Mrs. Trimble out, all the while whispering conspiratorially to each other, of what he never quite knew.

Jean had been beaming and practically vibrating with happiness when she'd shown Mrs. T in, and thinking of her bright eyes, he decided that updating Mrs. T's records could wait. He needed to know what had Jean so thrilled.

He found her in the garden trimming flowers. She rushed to give him a hug and stood in his arms. "Oh Lucien, you're finished, I couldn't sit still in the house, I needed to keep my hands busy!"

Lucien chuckled, he loved seeing his precious Jean so blissfully happy. "I could tell, what is going on?"

"We've had a letter from Christopher! They want to bring Amelia for the week of Christmas!"

"Ah!" Lucien smiled and pulled her close. "We'll have a great time spoiling her."

"A whole week Lucien!" She smiled contentedly in his arms. Her husband, her son's family all together for Christmas. It was going to be a great Christmas, she'd make sure of that.

*in this universe Mattie never left*

"Mattie, what have you done?" Jean stood in the doorway and surveyed the damage. She was slightly appalled at the state of her kitchen, but also concerned about her young friend.

It looked like a tornado had blown through: the sink was piled with dishes, several spoons and a few other utensils littered the table, flour and sugar covered almost every surface like a fine dusting of snow, and two trays of biscuits, one crumbled, one blackened, lay askew on the stove top. Mattie herself sat at the end of the kitchen table with her head in her hands pouring over a cookbook.

She didn't look up, "Jean, I can't figure out what I've done wrong? The first batch completely fell apart and the second almost caught on fire. I followed the instructions step by step." She sighed and passed the book over to Jean, who had come to stand next to her and read over her shoulder.

Jean glanced at the stove and back to the book. "You were trying for the gingerbread?"

"Yes, I wanted to ice them and take them to the orphanage tomorrow as a surprise. I should have just gone to the bakery, I'm useless in the kitchen." She hung her head and sighed once more.

"Nonsense!" Jean clapped her hands. "Up you get, let's clean this lot up. We should have time for one more try before dinner. We'll use my recipe though, if you don't mind?"

"You're a marvel, Jean, thank you!"

"That she is Mattie." Lucien stopped short as he entered the kitchen. Glancing between the two women, seeing the determined look on Jean's face and the exhaustion in Mattie's, he decided against teasing this time. "Can I help set things to rights?"

"If you'll wipe down the table and sweep Lucien, we can see to the dishes." Jean replied and began to scrub.

An hour and a half later the three sat at the table, biscuits and icing at hand, transforming each into a jolly Santa complete with a red hat and white beard. As they finished up the last batch, Mattie quickly hugged Jean and Lucien, thanking them profusely, before rushing off to meet her boyfriend John at the cinema.

Standing side by side, Lucien helped Jean rinse, wash, and dry the icing bowls. As they finished Lucien slid his arm around his wife pulling her into a side hug. "Well done, Mrs. Blake," he said in a low tone. "There's just one last thing amiss in this kitchen."

Jean turned in his arms and glanced about the room. "Lucien, this kitchen is cleaner than I left it after lunch!"

"Ah, yes, but there is a bit of red icing right here," he kissed her temple and whispered into her hair, "That's been driving me mad for the last half hour." Jean hummed happily and settled closer against him as he slowly pressed gentle kisses across her brow and cheeks.

"Lucien?" Jean stood in the door of the study in her dressing gown. She'd put her hair up in anticipation of this evening's Christmas Fete at the art gallery, but his surprise seemed to have stopped any further preparations. She held the small box with its green and red wrapping in her hand. "It's not even Christmas Eve yet?"

"This particular gift, while Christmas-y in nature, was purchased with this evening in mind."

Curious, Jean came to perch on the edge of his desk. She bent and kissed his cheek, "Thank you."

"You haven't seen it yet." She smiled and started to pull at the ribbons, opening the box carefully. Inside, nestled in a burgundy case, was a beautiful gold brooch shaped like a lace star, with a single brilliant diamond at its center.

"It's gorgeous, Lucien."

"I thought it would look nice with the red dress you picked for this evening, and it reminded me of the Bethlehem star your Methodist minister went on about last week. So you see it's a proper pre-Christmas gift."

"I didn't know you were listening." She smirked at him, and he grinned back. "And he's hardly my minister. You're the only someone who is mine, and I certainly prefer it that way." She leaned over again and kissed him once more before slipping away to finish getting ready.

"Rose, could you do something for me?" Rose and Matthew were chatting at the kitchen table, and he hated to interrupt them, but he desperately needed a favor.

"Case related?" She glanced at her uncle in apology.

"Oh gracious, no!" Their most recent case was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment. He lowered his voice. "How well does your camera work inside without the flash?"

"It depends on the room, how much light is available."

"Would you mind," he extended his arm to lead her from the room, "I'd like you to take a picture of Jean and Amelia," his voice dropped again as they entered the hallway, "but I don't want you to disturb them if at all possible." Knowing he was only confusing the young woman, he sighed. "You'll see what I mean in a moment."

He led Rose back to the sitting room, one finger to his lips, and gestured for her to peek around the door. He quietly stepped up behind her, hoping she would see what he saw, and that somehow, despite the low light, Rose's image would capture this sweet moment.

Jean was sitting on the floor next to the Christmas tree, with little Amelia snuggled in her lap. The child was wearing her new red and white striped pajamas, her cheeks fresh and rosy from a bath. Jean's arms encircled the tired little one, who was completely relaxed, collapsed against her 'Nana,' her sole focus the entrancing images of the picture book Jean held before them. The lights of the tree twinkled and glowed, and Jean's soft voice could just be heard as she whispered the tale in the little girl's ear, "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, Now! Prancer and Vixen!" She paused as Amelia pointed to something on the page, "Yes, the Reindeer are handsome aren't they."

Just as Jean bent her head to kiss Amelia's curls, Lucien heard a soft click and whir beside him. He closed his eyes and smiled. He'd never imagined that his heart could be quite so full.

"Jean!" Lucien yelled as he darted into the house.

"Kitchen!" She was seated at the table, surrounded by stacks of Christmas cards and envelopes.

He held out his hand for her, "I have something to show you." He was grinning from ear to ear as he bent to kiss her cheek, and she found herself propelled forward to the front door.

"Close your eyes."

"Lucien, what have you done?"

"Eyes." She complied with a laugh and heard the click of the door. Then his hand was at her lower back, urging her forward once more.

"No peeking." She smiled at his sweet silliness, and tried to be patient as they ventured further across the gravel drive. His arm left her back, and his hands moved to her upper arms, turning her gently back towards house.

"Now open!"

"Oh, Lucien!" She was at a loss. The house had been transformed into something from a fairy tale. Strings of twinkling lights stretched across the roof lines and around each window. "How did you manage all of this? It's beautiful." She leaned back into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin upon her shoulder.

"Danny may have helped while you were shopping this afternoon."

She turned and kissed his cheek. "Well I love it, and Amelia will be mesmerized." A comfortable silence enveloped them as they stood in each other's arms, admiring the beauty of the lights and the transformation of their home. Jean was the first to break the trance. "It's amazing how such a simple thing as light in the darkness can be so magical."

A loud banging on her front door stole Alice's attention from her experiment.

"Coming! Who is it?"

"Delivery Miss!"

She opened the door to a wall of green, "I did not order a tree."

The young man shuffled the tree to the side and pulled a receipt book from his pocket, "Says A. Harvey. This is the address, Miss."

"It's Doctor. I did not pay for this." She gestured emphatically towards the evergreen.

"I did," she looked up to see Matthew standing at her front gate, a shopping bag in one hand. "Take it in to the living room son. The stand and another box are in the back of my car. I'll give you a fiver to bring them in and put the tree on the stand. " The young man lugged the tree through the door.

"Matthew Lawson, how dare you?" Despite her words there was a soft smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

"You said you hadn't had one since you were a girl. Thought it might be nice to rectify that."

Alice shook her head, but smiled, "Well come in then, we'll have to show him where to put it."

While Matthew supervised the installation of the tree in front of the bay window, Alice looked through the decorations he had purchased. He'd clearly spent some time thinking about his selections. Several of the ornaments were in her favorite colors and there were even a few nicer ones shaped like her favorite birds.

The delivery man left, happy with his tip. They started with the lights, and soon the tree was looking very festive.

An hour later, they sat shoulder to shoulder on the sofa enjoying their efforts and a cup of tea. Alice nudged his elbow with her own. "Well done Matthew."

"You deserve a Merry Christmas, Alice." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Alice tipped her head onto his shoulder and sighed.

"You're a good man Matthew Lawson."

Jean sighed as she slipped under the covers and next to Lucien.

"Tired?" He set aside his book and shifted lower in the bed as she curled into his side.

"Hmm." She nodded against his shoulder. "It's been a long time since I've spent a day entertaining a toddler. We had fun."

Lucien hugged her to him, "I'm sorry I couldn't spend the day with you two." Instead he'd been in the morgue most of the afternoon with Alice, determining that Mrs. Henderson died of a stroke.

Jean reached up to kiss his cheek. "It's fine, Lucien, I know you would have been here if you could ."

"Well, tomorrow, we'll take little miss to the park as we'd planned." They were quiet for several moments, but Lucien could feel Jean's hand fluttering over his chest, her fingers worrying a button on his pajamas, and he knew she was still turning something over in her mind.

"Jean?"

"Hmm?" He could tell she was still distracted.

Lucien brought his hand up to hold hers against his chest, stilling her nervous fingers. He didn't think she was upset, so he risked teasing her. "Jean, you just sewed that button back on, last week, as I recall." He knew she wouldn't quickly forget how the button had come dislodged.

"Lucien Blake," she playfully jabbed him in the ribs, "that was at least half your fault! You'd been teasing me all day!" She laughed into his shoulder.

Lucien smiled at the memory, he'd come to learn early in their marriage that Jean was easily distracted when he was slightly disheveled, sleeves rolled up, collar undone, hair ruffled, and occasionally he used that knowledge to his advantage.

"What's on your mind?"

"I want Amelia to have a special Christmas, but I also want us to do something nice since it's our first Christmas since the wedding. I just haven't figured out both yet."

"Miss Amelia is almost two, and I can guarantee that between the tree, your attention, and all the decorations and other little things you have planned, she is already in heaven." He paused. "Now a 'Blake Christmas Tradition,' that sounds intriguing. Why don't you let me plan something for Friday night?"

"Are you asking me out on a date, Dr. Blake?"

"I am."

"Sounds lovely," Jean took a deep breath and snuggled into his side. "You can pick me up at 6."

"Will do." In his mind he started a checklist. He'd have to call Henry and the florist.

After a few moments, he realized Jean hadn't replied and had gone completely still in his arms. He bent to kiss her hair. If only he could ease all of her worries so quickly.

Jean stood in the kitchen kneading bread dough and humming along to the music from the record player in the sitting room. Christmas music was one of her favorite things about the season. She had fond memories of singing old hymns with her mother and sister while wrapping presents and baking cookies for friends. As she worked the dough and wrapped it to prove, her humming turned to soft singing, and soon she was lost in the music.

She paused a moment in her work and looked up when she heard another voice. Mattie was standing in the doorway singing along with a bright smile in her eyes. They sang through several songs and two verses of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem,' as Jean finished another batch of dough and Mattie copied out some notes from one of her school books. Her work done, Mattie collected her things, and still singing, walked over and leaned her head on Jean's shoulder, in a brief hug.

As the song ended, Jean smiled again at another sweet memory.

As soon as he walked in the door Lucien could smell the biscuits baking. The sweet smell permeated the air and put a smile on his face. He put his things away and headed toward the kitchen.

Jean's back was to him as she used the spatula to scoop the latest batch from the tray and onto a cooling rack. On the kitchen table two tins were already packed and tied shut with curled ribbons, and two trays of biscuits had been iced and were waiting their turn for wrapping. He watched her work for a moment, always his efficient Jean, before announcing himself, "You've been busy. It smells heavenly."

"Thank you! How was your morning?" Her task complete, she came around the table to his side and slid her arm around his waist, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

"Oh, the autopsy was fine, we're just waiting on test results from the lab." Jean turned back to the dishes in the sink, and he reached out to snag a biscuit with blue icing.

Jean stopped him without turning, "Take a green one, Lucien."

He grinned at her and cocked an eyebrow, "And why is my favorite color off the menu?"

"Those are gifts for the Cohens. I was in their shop last week, and Miriam mentioned the girls were excited about Hanukkah. Tonight's the first night, so I thought I would take these over this afternoon." She paused, thoughtful. "They were very kind to me last year."

"Ah, Jean." Lucien stepped up behind her at the sink and dropped a kiss on her shoulder as she worked. "That is a wonderful way to say thank you."

*Technically, this one should have come before the picture book drabble, but I got way too excited about that fic so they are out of order!*

"She's fast asleep." Ruby sighed and smiled, glancing across the back seat of the cab at her husband and daughter. Amelia had snuggled into her Daddy's side as soon as the cab had turned onto the main road leaving the train station. She'd hoped in vain that her little one would keep to her nap time on the train, but it was too loud and the views from the window too intriguing. Now she'd probably sleep through arriving at her grandparents.

They turned into the Blakes' gravel driveway, and the child slept on while Ruby asked the driver to put their bags on the porch and Christopher shifted her from the seat up into his arms.

Ruby was about to knock when the door suddenly opened and Dr. Blake issued a jolly greeting, "Ruby! Christopher!" His voice dropped as he noticed Amelia was asleep. "Welcome. Come in, come in!"

Jean turned the corner from the kitchen and smiled. Seeing the four of them together did wonders for her heart. She hurried to hug the new arrivals. "We're so glad you've come!" She turned to Christopher and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks Mum! Good to be here."

"How is little miss?"

"She's fine. Didn't nap on the train and passed out in the cab." Ruby smiled as Jean reached up to rub soothing circles on her granddaughter's back. During the two weeks Jean had stayed with them, Ruby had seen Jean do the same thing whenever she held Amelia to her shoulder.

Amelia stirred and turned her head on her father's shoulder, her blue eyes opening to Jean's smiling face. "Nana," the baby whispered before yawning and burying her face into her father's neck.

Jean was surprised, but it wasn't the moment to ask questions. "Christopher, let me show you the room I've set up for Amelia. Lucien, will you grab the bags and bring them upstairs?" They all made their way to the room, and the younger couple stayed to settle Amelia in her bed.

Lucien and Jean returned to the kitchen and worked together to set the table and lay out the salads Jean had made for their late dinner. When Amelia and Christopher came back down, they ate and chatted for several hours before turning in for the night.

Jean was up early the next morning preparing breakfast when Ruby appeared, Amelia in arms, and sat at the table.

"Good morning Jean!"

"Good morning. How would you like your eggs?" She came around the table, "And what do you think this one," she paused to kiss the child's hair, "would like? I have eggs, bacon, fruit? A banana maybe?"

Amelia, who had been playing with the bow on her mother's robe, looked up at Jean and grinned. "Nana!"

"A banana it is!"

Ruby smiled. "A banana would be lovely Jean, but Nana is what we've established as her pet name for you. I hope that is ok?"

"Surely she doesn't remember me though. It's been over a year since we've seen you, and she's just shy of 2!" Her confusion couldn't wipe the wide smile from her face.

"Do you remember the hallway at our house with all of the family photographs? Sometimes when I'm taking Amelia back to the bedrooms for a nap or to go to bed, she'll get distracted by the pictures, and I started telling her about the people in the photographs, explaining who they are and how much they love her. I started referring to you as her Nana simply because that is what I called my grandmother. I do hope it's okay." Ruby smiled nervously and fiddled with her place mat.

Jean bent down to squeeze her daughter-in-law's shoulders. "I love it!"

"Bloody frustrating day, Blake!" Matthew slammed the interview room door shut as they headed back to his desk. They had just arrived at the third dead end of the day.

"Alice sent off the stomach contents for testing. They have to hold the missing piece. We'll know something tomorrow evening." Lucien frowned, thinking.

Matthew fell into his chair and glared grumpily at the doctor. "I know that look Blake, if you have any epiphanies tonight or tomorrow morning, call for bloody backup before you go sniffing around anywhere."

Lucien raised his hands in innocence, and then grabbed his medical bag. "I'm reformed Matthew. Too much at stake these days. I'm headed home." He smiled what Matthew had started calling his 'Jean smile'.

Matthew shook his head as his friend left. When he'd mentioned that smile to Alice she'd known exactly what he'd been talking about. That shy but somehow proud smile had often graced his friend's face over the last year.

Matthew sighed and glanced at the clock. It was too late to call Alice, so he'd clear his desk and head home as well.

Alice had left her preliminary report on the corner of his desk. She'd called earlier with the important details, but he'd have to go over it in detail tomorrow. For now, he locked it away with a few other files and slid his desk drawer open a bit to put away some odds and ends. As he reached to drop a few paper clips in their tray, his fingers bumped against something in the drawer that blocked his hand.

He pulled the drawer fully open to reveal a present. It was wrapped in gold and green paper with small red bow, and there was a note attached. He recognized Alice's handwriting and smiled. No doubt she'd decided it was no one else's business if she left him a gift and had hidden it to avoid questions and sly glances from his men.

Matthew,

Saw this yesterday and thought of you. Open immediately and enjoy!

Matthew glanced up, Williams had just stepped out, leaving him alone. He ripped opened the package.

"The 1961 Gold Book Of Trivia: World History, Science, Art, Sport, and Leisure"

Matthew thumped the cover and smiled once more.

They'd said it would take an hour. Lucien glanced at the clock for what felt like the 20th time in the last little while, drumming his pencil on the day book resting on his desk. It had already been an hour and a half. He glanced about the office for something to do. It hadn't phased him when the ladies had banished him from the parlor and dinning room, insisting they needed privacy to finish up some Christmas surprises. But as the hands of his clock had ticked away the afternoon, interrupted only by occasional bursts of laughter from down the hall, he'd become restless.

Normally he'd have plenty of things to keep himself occupied, but Jean had rescheduled all of his appointments for the week when they'd learned her son's family would be visiting, and it appeared the criminals of Ballarat had all decided to celebrate the holidays as well.

Hearing Jean's laugh once more, he rose from the desk and poked his head out the door listening. He was glad that Ruby and Jean seemed to be enjoying each others company. He knew their relationship had been strained early in Christopher's marriage.

The ladies went quiet again, and he was about to head back to the studio for his book, when he heard another noise entirely. He stilled, listening for the little voice again and smiled. Someone was awake!

Lucien took the stairs up to Jean's old room, and found the door propped. Amelia's sweet face and mussed hair could just been seen peaking over the edge of the crib, one hand clutching the rail, the other her well loved teddy.

"Hello little Miss! Are Mama and Nana being too loud?"

"Hold you." The baby lifted her arms to be picked up and promptly landed back on her bottom in the crib. Her eyes started to water, and Lucien swiftly lifted her and teddy into his arms.

"It's alright." The child relaxed in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. "Why don't you, Teddy, and I go see what is happening in Nana's garden?"

They slipped out the front door and around the side of the house. He showed Amelia the begonias and a few other pretty flowers before she began to squirm, ready to be put down. "Not so fast little one, we need shoes!"

He'd grabbed her little shoes on the way out and stuffed them in his pocket, and now sat in a wicker garden chair and clasped them on her feet.

Amelia had just rediscovered her ball when he felt someone behind him and then a hand on his shoulder. "You're pretty good at this baby sitting thing." He looked up into Jean's smiling eyes.

"We were both feeling a little left out this afternoon." He smiled, teasing.

"Oh shush!" She kissed his cheek. "We're almost done. Give us 10 more minutes, then I'll fix tea, and you can help me give Amelia her snack." She grinned at him and wandered back inside.

Lucien watched his granddaughter totter around the garden, occasionally moving things out of her reach and collecting all the little leaves and rocks she brought to show him. He suddenly found himself very happy to have so little work to do, and made a mental note to thank Jean for clearing his calendar.

"Ruby? Mum?" Christopher knocked on the dining room door. The ladies had hurried inside 10 minutes earlier, Amelia had been handed over to him with strict instructions that she be put down for a nap, then he and Lucien had been banned from the dining room and parlor with very little explanation. He gathered they were wrapping presents.

"Don't you dare open that door Christopher!" Came the reply from his mum.

"I just wanted to let you know Amelia is asleep and I'm headed out to the shops. I propped her door so you'll hear if she cries."

"Okay!"

"Have fun!" Came their replies.

He shook his head. He hadn't liked it when they didn't get along, but he wasn't sure about how close they'd become over the last week. They were both too smart for their own good, and Lord help him if they ever decided to gang up on him. He laughed and made his way out to the car.

Inside the dining room, Jean had organized a wrapping station with colored papers and several different types of ribbons and bows, extra boxes, scissors, tape, tissue, and tags. Ruby had just finished bringing their packages in from the car when Christopher knocked.

Her husband gone on his errand, Ruby watched as Jean pulled 5 or 6 more bags from the cabinet under the wet bar. "Jean Blake, you sneak." Ruby giggled.

"What? I'm the only one who serves these days, and I made sure Lucien had plenty of whiskey in his office before I stashed anything away." Jean smiled slyly and pulled up a chair at one end of the table.

Jean rummaged through one of the larger bags. "Oh Ruby, I wanted to show you these before I wrapped them for Amelia." She pulled out a handful of knitted animal toys. I made them for her after you mentioned the Noah's Ark print you bought for her room."

"Oh, they're precious Jean! And so soft," she rubbed the ear of the little rabbit. "Amelia will be in heaven, but no more show and tell. At least not where Amelia's concerned. I think I'm more excited about this Christmas than she even knows to be!"

Both women laughed again and set to work.

As they worked, Jean shared several funny stories about Christmases past with her boys, and Ruby offered up a few of her own tales.

Jean made quick work of her packages. She'd already wrapped several things before the Beazleys had arrived, and those presents were already under the tree.

"Can I help you finish these Ruby?" She gestured toward the 5 or 6 boxes still stacked on a chair.

"Sure," Ruby grinned, "I'm done with your lot."

Jean grabbed the largest box in the pile and popped it open, "Who is this one…" her words trailed off.

Ruby looked up and instantly went red as she realized which box her mother-in-law was holding.

"I'm so sorry Jean, I meant to stash that in our room and wrap it later." She reached for the box and closed it, as if hiding it would erase the older woman's memory.

Jean had also gone a light shade of rose, but she recovered quickly. "It's a lovely nightie, Ruby."

Recognizing that her words just caused the woman more embarrassment, Jean cast about for something else to say, and her eyes landed on the wet bar. As Ruby nervously fiddled with some ribbon, Jean crossed the room and pulled out one more present. Returning to the table she opened the package and passed it to Ruby, who glanced in the box and looked up wide eyed.

Jean pulled the box back to her end of the table and started wrapping it. "Given all the other evidence, I'm pretty sure this just means we both have very healthy marriages for which we should be thankful."

Ruby finally let out a loud laugh, breaking the tension in the room. "Amen."

"What's your favorite Christmas memory?"

Jean was tucked into his side, her head resting on his shoulder as they sat watching the sunset from the back garden. Dinner was over, the dishes were done, Amelia was in bed, and the young Beazleys were reading in the parlor. The wicker love seat creaked as he shifted his arm to pull her closer.

"Hmmm." He took a moment to consider and watched as the orange tone of the sky blended into a peachy pink above the tree line. "Well one year, Matthew, the Brown twins, and I took all the props and stage sets from the school nativity play and moved them into the principals office." He chuckled. "One set of angel wings collapsed in Tommy's hands and feathers went everywhere. They never figured out it was us, and we thought we were big stuff."

Jean laughed, but shifted slightly and turned her head so she could see his face. "Surely that's not your favorite memory. I was hoping for something more sentimental and sweet." She swatted at his arm playfully. "Although I can imagine you both all puffed up with pride." She settled against him once more.

The brilliant pink streaks that stretched across the sky above them slowly melted into lavender. Lucien traced loose circles across her arm as he thought. "Many of my Christmases were lonely." He felt her tense and pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple. "March 25 was a pretty spectacular present. Everything seemed to finally be real when you showed me that little red circle on the calendar."

"Hmm, that was a wonderful day." They sat in silence watching as the sky faded to darkness, lavender giving way to navy then black with twinkling stars.

"What about you? What made you ask the question?"

"Oh, I was thinking about when I was a little girl. My sister and I had special Christmas ornaments that were shaped like ballerinas. They were wooden and heavy, with painted on dresses, but we thought they were beautiful. We would hang them on the lowest branches of the tree and then lay underneath in the evenings and twirl them, making them dance in front of the twinkling lights. Sometimes Mother would turn off the main light in the parlor so the room was only lit by the tree, it was magical."

Lucien could picture the girls in his mind, Jean with her brunette curls and sweet smile. He felt her shaking against him, and afraid she was crying, he glanced down. "Jean?"

His question gave her silent chuckles voice and a full hearty laugh burst from her lips. Confused, he could only watch as she buried her face in his chest as she recovered. "I painted a lovely picture there didn't I?" She smiled up at him. "Well, while you and Matthew were stealing set pieces, the Beazley sisters waged war over the placement of the figurines in the family nativity. Every day the wise men and the shepherds found themselves man-handled, constantly being reset into their 'proper' places. We were both such sneaks."

Lucien chuckled. "Serious business."

"Oh, we were very serious about it. I'm amazed Mother put up with our bickering."

They sat together a few moments more before retreating to the warmth of the house.

Christopher Beazley wasn't sure what was going on, but he doubted it was good.

Lucien had received a call 10 minutes into breakfast. He'd stepped out to grab his medical bag, came back to kiss the girls on the cheek, and headed out to a crime scene. They'd finished breakfast, he'd even helped with the dishes for a change, but then his mum had turned around, grabbed the raw ham out of the fridge, and headed out the back door.

"Mum!" He followed her out, "What are you doing?" He stopped her half way down the little path that wound around to the front of the house. "What's going on?" When she didn't respond he reached for the ham. "At least let me carry it for you."

Jean sighed, handing it over. "I'm fine Christopher. I'm just taking the ham over to Mrs. Russell's for safe keeping."

That earned her a raised eyebrow. "And why does the ham need protecting?"

Jean's brow furrowed. How did she explain her husband's eccentricities to her son? She turned and started walking again. "Sometimes Lucien likes to work on cases at home. If he can't figure something out, he'll try several experiments to find the answer." She glanced at Christopher, who still looked utterly confused and very worried. She stopped at the front walk and turned to face him. "Sometimes he uses meat to figure out how people came to have the wounds they do."

It took Christopher a moment to comprehend her meaning, and he looked at her aghast. "Mum, that's deranged."

Jean squared her shoulders, and glared defiantly at the young man. "Christopher, I will not argue with you about this in the street. Lucien is brilliant at his work. Sometimes his methods are unorthodox, but he always figures things out. He finds answers for grieving families, even if he can't bring them peace, and he helps the police keep us safe."

She grabbed the ham from his hands and marched up the neighbor's drive. Christopher followed behind, chastised, but still interested in seeing how this played out.

He watched as his mother knocked on the side door.

"Jean! Hello, dear." Mrs. Russell looked the part of every loving granny he'd ever read about in a children's book. Soft, kind, joyous.

"Good morning, Mrs. Russell," came his mother's reply. "As you can see, I was hoping to borrow some fridge space again."

"Of course dear, are you and the Doctor having guests for the holidays?" Not waiting for a reply, she led them back to her carport, where a refrigerator was tucked up next to the building.

"Yes, this is my son, Christopher. He and his wife and daughter are with us all week." Christopher shook Mrs. Russell's hand and smiled shyly as his mother beamed at the woman.

"Oh what's the baby's name?" The ladies chatted back and forth as if they shared fridges all the time. Eventually, the ham packed away safely, they headed back down the drive.

"Mum, she has no idea why you're using her fridge does she?

"Of course not! I let her assume ours is too small."

"Why don't you just tell Lucien the ham is off limits."

"Oh, we've discussed the issue before, but I know my husband, and he'll be in a rush to solve this case before Christmas." They turned onto the gravel drive. "He'll be focused, and everything else will become something of a distraction." She sighed. "That sounds awful, but Lucien is a good man, and he doggedly pursues the truth, sometimes at the expense of our dinner." She patted him on the chest. "Trust me. That Christmas ham is safer with Mrs. Russell."

17.

"Amelia, I love you," Lucien leaned over to blow a raspberry on the nearest chubby leg and the child squealed, "but we need to have a serious chat." They were sitting on a blanket in the garden, just having finished a picnic with Jean, who had run inside to put away the leftovers so they wouldn't spoil.

"Two things," he held up two fingers, "One, two." He pointed to each finger in turn.

"Two!" Came Amelia's enthusiastic reply. She held her teddy bear over her head and giggled.

"One: sharing is very important, and I'm going to have to insist that you share Nana with me and not steal all her kisses. I'm quite the jealous type you see." The toddler only heard one word: kisses and stood up on wobbly legs to kiss his cheek. "Yes, sweet girl!" Lucien laughed at her comprehension, and hugged her to his side.

"Ah, trying to change the subject I see!" He scooped the little girl up and walked to the edge of the garden. "One:" he held up a finger again, "we must share Nana, and two:" He pointed up into a tree, "this green stuff here," he reached up high and pinched off a small piece, "is not a part of this tree. It's a parasite, called mistletoe."

"Toe!" Amelia immediately tried to grab her own foot, almost launching herself head first to the ground.

"Woah there!" He righted the little one and tapped her foot, twirling the plant between his fingers, and Amelia reached for it.

"Ah yes, this is mistletoe, and it clings to the tree and steals all of its nutrients. It doesn't like to share. That's not very nice, is it?" He let the girl play with the sprig as they chatted and walked back to their blanket. "One thing that is nice about mistletoe is that when adults stand under it, they have to kiss! So you see, when Nana comes back, I'll have to kiss her."

"Kiss Nana!"

"Exactly, I'm glad we understand one another." He pulled her close and pressed his forehead to hers before kissing her cheek and placing her back on the blanket next to her teddy bear.

Moments later Jean rejoined them, kneeling next him. "How are we doing?" She glanced at her watch. "It's awfully close to naptime."

"Oh, we are doing wonderfully. Not a pout in sight." Amelia had the good grace to warn of an impending meltdown by pouting pitifully when she was over tired. "We had a lovely chat."

"Did you?"

"Yes, we talked about sharing and botany."

Jean raised an eyebrow at that, but turned to watch Amelia as she carefully sorted through a pile of pebbles, selecting one magical one to add to the growing collection on the blanket beside her grandfather.

When she turned back to Lucien, he'd shuffled closer, and was holding a leaf high over their heads. Momentarily confused, her brow furrowed, but he leaned in and sweetly kissed her question away.

They broke apart, just as Amelia descended upon them, flinging herself into her Nana's lap. "Toe kiss, Nana!" She declared as she planted a sticky kiss on Jean's cheek. Lucien also earned a kiss on the forehead from little miss, but she was quickly distracted by a bee that buzzed by.

Lucien handed the sprig of mistletoe to Jean, and she turned it over in her hand, finally putting two and two together. She smirked at him and laughed. "Sharing and Botany."

"Of course." He grinned at her and kissed her cheek once more.

"Oh, Jean, it's lovely!" The sewing ladies had come over for the afternoon to visit while they finished up a few presents for the holidays. To call it a sewing circle was a bit of a misnomer. Angie was knitting a cardigan for her grandson, and while Jean was actually doing a bit of handwork, Celia had brought her water color kit and was finishing a miniature scene for her grandmother. They had all gathered in the dining room of the Blake House and were inspecting each other's work.

"Thank you!" Jean ran her fingers lovingly over the delicate handwork design she was adding to the little dress she had made for Amelia. The dress was light blue with short puffed sleeves and a Peter Pan collar. Across the bodice Jean had embroidered a garden scene with a dazzling array of flowers. A small butterfly buzzed to one side and a bee fluttered slightly above a yellow daisy. The design somehow fit little Amelia's personality. She loved the garden and fluttered from flower to flower, watching bugs and collecting stray pebbles and other treasures in her little hands. Jean smiled.

She'd originally planned to make a Christmas dress with a smocked tree and presents, but when she'd been working out the design in her mind, this vision had settled in her heart. She consoled herself with the knowledge that the child would get much more use out of a summer dress than a Christmas one, whatever her original intention.

As the ladies settled in to work, she selected some lavender thread to finish a section of small rosettes. Christmas dress or not, all that really mattered was that Amelia enjoyed wearing it and was comfortable. As she finished the last flower, Jean closed her eyes for a moment, thanking God for their little one and praying that she would always realize how much she was loved.

"Lucien?" Jean made her way to his office.

Lucien rose from his spot at the desk and came around to greet her with a hug and kiss, "Hello, dear, you're back later than I thought."

Jean had run to the shops after the last surgery appointment and had been gone most of the afternoon. "Yes, it took longer to pick out the cards than I thought it would. Come into the kitchen and see what you think."

The Christmas cards she'd selected were blue with a white trim and a white dove in the center. On the inside the simple inscription read "Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men."

Lucien turned the card over in his hand. "These are lovely."

"I thought so." Jean paused. "How do you want to sign them?"

"How do you usually sign them?"

"I usually purchase two sets: one for the surgery and one for me."

"Ahh!" Comprehension dawned, Lucien smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Well, I'm partial to 'Dr. and Mrs. Blake.'"

Jean smiled and leaned into his side, "One set of cards." She sighed a happy, contented sigh. Sometimes the little things about her life that were better now that she was with Lucien overwhelmed her. "Marrying you has come with a wide range of benefits, Dr. Blake."

She turned in his arms. The cards could wait for another day.

Jean sat at her dressing table contemplating her options. Lucien was expecting her to be ready at 5 and had told her to dress for a nice evening out, but had gleefully refused to give her any further information about his plans.

She'd chosen a floral print sheath dress that hugged her curves, which she knew Lucien would appreciate, and a beige heel, but was waffling on a lipstick choice. She finally settled on a darker cranberry. She rarely wore the color because it was too dark for daytime, in her estimation, but it seemed the most appropriate for what would surely be a dinner date.

Checking her reflection once more she glanced at the clock. 10 minutes. Perfect. She headed over to her bedside table and pulled a small box out of the bottom drawer. She wanted Lucien to have this Christmas present early and hastily wrapped it and put it in her purse.

Just as she finished she heard a soft knock at the studio door, and hurried to open it. Lucien stood, dressed in his best suit grinning from ear to ear. "You are beautiful, love," he leaned in to kiss her cheek and took her hand in his, "Your chariot awaits."

After they'd settled in the car, Jean turned to her husband. "And where is my chariot headed?"

Lucien just grinned his reply, switching on the radio as he turned onto the main road. He turned right instead of left into town.

"Lucien?"

"Ah," Jean had noticed quickly that they were leaving town and not headed down to one of the restaurants. "Do you really want to know?"

Jean thought a moment before replying emphatically in the affirmative.

"We've dinner reservations at Maurice's and tickets to The Nutcracker."

"Lucien, Maurice's is in Melbourne."

"Indeed."

"It's too much."

"It will never be enough."

"What about Amelia, Christopher, and Ruby? They traveled all this way to see us at Christmas time, and we've abandoned them." The dinner at Maurice's had been just as lovely as when they visited on the first leg of their honeymoon trip, and having Lucien all to herself for a quiet meal felt like a luxury after so many busy weeks of planning and then having a full house. They'd left the restaurant arm in arm and retrieved the Holden, but instead of heading to the theatre, Lucien had turned at the entrance of The Grand, one of the nicest hotels in Melbourne.

"They're meeting us tomorrow morning, and we're taking Amelia to the Zoo. I've packed a bag for both of us, all the essentials, Ruby helped me with your makeup," he winked, "and we are all set. No worrying." He reached across the seat to squeeze her hand. "We'll just drop everything off, and then we should have enough time to walk down to the theater, it's only a few blocks."

Jean smiled. She'd forgotten how meticulous he could be when he decided to be extravagantly romantic. She'd gotten quite used to it on their long honeymoon. "That sounds lovely," she couldn't resist teasing since he had been so sneaky. "You'll just have to wait until after the show to open your first Christmas present then." Before he could reply, the valet and bellhop arrived and escorted them inside.

The room was beautiful and had been decorated tastefully for Christmas. She stood looking out the window at the bustling street below as Lucien dealt with the bell hop. Christmas lights and decorations had transformed the city.

After a few moments Lucien joined her, slipping his hands around her waist to draw her into a hug. "You'll spoil me, Lucien."

"Happily!" He kissed her cheek, and they turned to join the others down on the side walk making their way to the theatre.

Later that evening, they returned to the room, and Lucien ordered their customary sherry and whiskey to be sent up.

Jean kicked off her heels and Lucien loosened his tie as they settled onto the little settee which sat off to one side of the room. They'd just settled in with their drinks when Jean remembered his present. "Oh!" She hopped up to retrieve it from her bag before she had time to get nervous.

Lucien watched as she came back to him and smiled, he could tell she wasn't sure about something. She sat opposite him on the couch and instead of leaning into him, she turned so she could see his face as he opened the gift.

"Thank you!" He pulled at the curled ribbon and opened the box to reveal a fine cotton handkerchief.

"It has your initials there," she pointed to one corner as he unfolded it. She'd hand embroidered a monogram in navy, and a thin Grecian key design ran along the border. He noticed a small section of red on the corner opposite the monogram and held it up to get a closer look. There at the end of the border was a small red heart with a J emblazoned in the middle. He looked up to meet her eyes.

"It's silly and sentimental." She lowered her gaze, but he lifted her chin so she could see his reaction once more.

"I will always carry your heart with me, Jean." His voice was low with emotion, "And I know it may not seem like it sometimes, but I treasure you and everything you do for me." He pulled her into a sweet, soft kiss that was slow and full of promise.

It was several moments before they broke apart and Jean turned into Lucien's side, resting her head on his shoulder. She took the handkerchief from his hand and carefully folded and stuck it in his front pocket. "I read a story about how medieval ladies used to give their champions their handkerchiefs as a good luck charm, and given our history, I thought it couldn't hurt." She grinned, hoping to lighten the mood a little.

They sat together and chatted a bit longer before Jean decided they better turn in if they hoped to keep up with Amelia the next day. Jean grabbed the bag Lucien and Ruby had packed for her and laid it on the bed so she could easily find her toiletry kit. She rummaged about in the bag for a moment.

"Lucien?"

"Hmmm?" He'd come to stand behind her and she turned to face him.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she search his, "You seem to have forgotten my pajamas."

"I only promised the essentials."

Jean laughed as he gently pushed her and she fell back onto the bed.

"Mattie?" The young woman could hear Lucien wandering down the hall.

"In here!" She grabbed a magazine, slumped on the sofa, and waited for the doctor to materialize. It was a week before Christmas, she was leaving for her parents in Melbourne tomorrow evening, and Jean had left for the shops 20 minutes ago. That meant Lucien was about to ask her for a favor.

"Ah, Mattie," he smiled as he entered the room carrying a rather large bag and perched on the arm chair across from her. "How were your exams?"

"Oh they were fine." She decided to make him work for his favor. "How was the surgery this afternoon?"

"Oh, the Cousins boys have Strep throat. Nasty business." He paused and patted the back of his head. She recognized the nervous habit and almost laughed.

"Mattie, I need a favor."

"Yes?"

"Will you help me wrap Jean's things. Show me again how to do the curlicue ribbons?"

"That depends. Are they all normal shapes?" She was teasing him now, and he knew it. Last year they had both struggled to wrap a hat he had purchased for Jean. It had come in a round box that gave them fits.

"Yes, you'd be proud of me. I remembered to ask Evelyn for square boxes this year." He grinned at her.

Mattie finally burst out laughing, and reached for the bag at his side. "Do I get to peek?"

"There is one you can see, but I won't deny my wife the pleasure of showing you everything else in January."

Mattie pretended to pout for a moment, but then hurried off to collect the scissors and wrapping paper.

"Lucien!" Through a muddy, sleep-clouded fog he heard Jean's voice calling to him, her hand on his shoulder. Half asleep he rolled to his side and pulled her to him, burying his face in her neck and teasing the tender spot below her ear. He heard her soft sigh, as his lips found their way to her collar bone, but then she was pushing him away, her hand drawing his face up so she could look into his eyes.

"Lucien! Don't distract me! I heard a noise." He blinked and tried to focus, recognizing the confusion and worry in her eyes.

They both went still for a moment looking at each other, but straining to hear anything out of the ordinary from the dark house. Several moments passed, the house was quiet. Lucien leaned his forehead against his wife's and just before his lips brushed hers, he heard it. A muffled thud and a curse, then a crash and breaking glass. They both sat up, fully awake. Lucien rushed to the hall, not bothering with a robe, pajama bottoms would have to do. Jean was just a step behind as she grabbed hers from her dressing table. Christopher met them in the hall, hair mussed, but alert.

The sound had come from the front of the house, and as they passed the kitchen, whoever was causing the commotion began to knock on the front door.

Lucien, motioned for them to stay back, but Jean hovered just over his shoulder. He unlatched the door and slowly opened it. A skinny young man stood, slouched against the porch railing really, his back to them, a broken whiskey bottle at his feet. He was absently pounding his fist on the railing. A duffel bag full to brimming laid against the wall, wrapped packages threatening to spill from the top.

Lucien heard Jean's swift intake of breath, before he felt her rush past him, "Jack!" came the cry from her lips. She descended upon the young man, hugging him and then stepping back to inspect him, making sure he hadn't hurt himself.

"Mum!" Jack collapsed in her arms as he slurred out, "Merry Christmas!" He flung his arm out and it collided with Lucien's chest as the man reached for him, to take some of his weight off of Jean.

"Right, let's get you inside." Lucien and Jean carried the young man back to Matthew's old room, and Christopher, a scowl etched on his angular face, grabbed Jack's bag depositing it just inside before searching out the broom to clean up the glass.

Jack mumbled apologies as they made their way down the hall, berating himself in the harshest language. They managed to get his shoes off and tuck him in to bed before he fully passed out. Jean sat on the bed next to him, brushed the curls back from his forehead and pressed a worried kiss in their place. Nothing came easy with Jack, but she couldn't help loving him and wishing better for him.

She felt Lucien's strong hand on her shoulder, as he placed a full glass of water and some Bex on the nightstand. He could feel the tension and worry radiating from his precious wife. "We can talk in the morning, come back to bed now." She rose and followed him back to the studio. Jack was Jack. He was whole, and he was here. For that she would be grateful.

Lucien looked down the row of the pew and smiled. Jean stood next to him, her hand in his, then Ruby and Christopher, and finally Jack held little Amelia, who despite the volume of the organ, was fast asleep on his shoulder.

They'd come to the little Methodist church for their Christmas Eve service. After a rousing rendition of 'Oh Little Town of Bethlehem,' the children of the church had stood at the front to recite the Christmas story from Luke, and despite a little red head who insisted on calling the manger a manager, everyone had done a valiant job. They sang a few more carols, and the pastor said a prayer of thanksgiving before offering an open communion.

Jean, Ruby, and Christopher made their way down to the alter, while he and Jack stayed behind to entertain Amelia. When Jean came back to stand next to him, he took her hand and squeezed it. She returned the pressure and smiled up at him. He knew the decision to take communion tonight was important to her. It was a way to close a chapter of uncertainty and unease in her faith life.

The lights dimmed and a handful of parishioners started handing out candles. The opening strains of 'O Holy Night,' sounded from the organ and the small congregation began to sing as flame was passed candle to candle until the entire room was lit only by the small candles. The organ faded out on the last refrain so only their voices rose as one. It was a magical moment, a quiet moment in a busy season.

—

Thank you everyone for indulging my Advent Calendar idea! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

God rest ye merry gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember, Christ, our Saviour was born on Christmas Day, To save us all from Satan's power when we had gone astray, O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy.